Refrigerating apparatus



Sept. 1, 1925. 1,552,070

C. L. MCCUEN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 26, 1919 2 Sheets-Sneet l Sept. 1, 1925.

` 1,552,070 c. l.. MccUEN REFRIGERATI NG APPARATUSl Filed June 2e, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .l Patented Sept.v 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES Y l 1,552,010; PATENT 1 oFFicE.

.CHARLES L. MUCUEN, or nETnoiT, m'eHIGAN, AssIGNon', BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To immo-LIGHT coiiiPANY, or DAYTON, omo, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

RFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Application mea :une 2s, 1919. semi No. 306,829.

fgan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus,

` of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to refrigeration and particularly to refrigerating apparatus of the com ression type. l p.

One of t e objects of the invention 1s to simplify the mechanism of this ytype of,

apparatus and render itinore reliable and longer lived. i

Another object of the invention is to in-l crease the capacity of the expansion chani.

ber of the system in order to make it a sort of storage chamber whereby the compressor may be operated at less frequent .periods while approximately maintainingva given temperature or a more uniform temperature may be maintained .from constant-operation of the compressor.

Other objects ofthe invention will appear from the following description taken inconnection with the drawings which form a -part ofthis specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view and part elevation of a refrigerating ap aratuspembodying the invention, the condenser, compressor and motor b'eing shown somewhat difgram'matically. v

' i 2 is a p an view of the expansion cham er with the central tank portion' of the chamber in section, and j Fi 3 is a side elevation' of the expansion cham er shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents a refrigerator having an opening 11 formed inthe topl thereof. 12 .isa base upon which` the entire refrigerating apparatus hereinafter describedis mounted. This base -is adapted to set on top of the refrigerator and part ofthe refrigerating apparatus extends down throii h the openin "11 into the interior of the rerigerator as sown in the drawing. The base -and -all of the apparatus mounted'on it may-'be removed as a unit.

Mounted oii the base 12 is a compressor 13 operated by an'electric or other motor 14. and a'condenser 15 is shown somewhat diaammatica'lly'as connected with the outlet rom the com ressor. This condenser may be of any desired type, either water or air vtank 25.

cooled. The condenser 15 has a storagel chamber 1'6 connected to its outletpend, this storage chamber being shown in the form of a cylindricaltank with the condenser con? nected to its upper end as at 17. 'V

The lower or bottom wall of the tank 16 'is formed by a support 18 made of a castingor forgin It has a flange 19 to which the lowerV en of the tank 16 is connected as by bolts 20, and this langef19 is extended as at 21 for connection to the support '18.

The expansion chamber of the refrigerating apparatus is suspended below the base 12 and in the present invention this chamber is of novel construction. In the illustrative form shown the expansion chamber 24 comprises two parts or compartments, one of which may -be termed a storage compartment and the other an evaporation .compartment. The storage compartment is represented by the elongated cylindrical tank 25 shown in the drawings and the evaporation compartment is re resented by a series of vertically arrange pipes 26 which have their upper and lower ends bent inwardly towards the tank 25'and connected thereto as at 27 `and 28 respectively.. Thus the with its cubic capacity and the eva oration compartment, composed as it is o a multiplicity of pipesor similar arts, has a re atively large surface area. hus it will be seen that if the ex ansion chamber 24 is partly filled with a suitable refrigerant, particularl to a point below the upper ends 27 of t e pipe 26, a sort of thermo-Siphon action will take place because of the relatively large. surface aiea of the pipes 26. Thus the refrigerant will be caused to boil in the pi es 26 and the evaporated refrigerant wil rise through the upper ends of the pipesv26 and into the upper partof the -This willcause 4t e liquid refrigerant in the lower art of the tank-25 to enter the lower en s of the pipes. 26 and eventually all ofthe refrigerant will thus 16 to which the condenser is connected.

Thus the support 181 forms a partition beico ics"

iiol

tween the tanks l16 and25 or between the condenser and the expansion chamber, and

v' it is intended that the refrigerant contained in the condenser and storage tank 16 under pansion valve operating on the pressure cr vacuum of the expansion chamber. This form of valve would necessarily operate at frequent intervals and admit very small quantities of the refrigerant in order to substantially maintain a constant pressure in thel expansion chamber. I n the present inventionit is intended that the refrigerant yshall be admitted in relatively large quantities and at more infrequent intervals, the expansion chamber acting somewhat as a storage chamber adapted to receive a consider-- able quantity of the condensed refrigerant and permit it to expand in accordance with the needs of its particular use. As shown the admission of the refri erant to the expansion chamber is contro ed by a float operating in the storage compartment or tank 25 of the expansion chamber: The float is.

-shown at and it has a stem 31 which is guided in a boss 32 arranged in the lower en d of the tank 25. The upper end 33 of 'the float stem is connected to a lever 34 pivoted at "35'to an armv36 extending downwardly from the support 18. The free end of the lever 34 hasa segmental notch 37 in whichthe end of a spring 38 is adapted to slide. The spring 38 is of ,S shape and its opposite ,end is pivotally connected at 39 to a swinging arm 40 pivoted at 41to an arm 42 extending downwardly from the support 18. The position of the arm 40, and consequently the tension of the spring 38, is adjustable by a threaded bolt 43 in the side of thetank 25. The stem of the bolt 43 is packed as by a nut 44 and a cap 45 may be screwed.

over the end of the bolt 43' after the 'latter has been finally adjusted.

The function of the springer; is to yielaably maintain the lever 34 1-n either of its two positions, .thatfis, either the up v alve closing positionas it. is shown 1n full hnes in' Fig. 1 of the drawin s, or in its lower orjopen position as it is own in dotted lines in F1 1. 'The lever 34 ismoved from one positlon to the other by the float 30 and the spring 38 maintains the lever 34 1n its upper posltion until the level of the a ysothat theweight of the float 30 acts to pull the lever 34 downwardly. Said lever then snaps over the dead center and is mainror' iglui'd in the tank 25 has dropped considertained in its lower position by thel sprin 38 until such time as the level of the liqui in the tank 25 rises considerably above the point of buoyancy of the float and the float thereby pushes the lever 34-over dead center to its upper position.

The lever 34 is connected by a link 46 wlth a lever 47 which is also pivoted to the arm 42 at 41. The lever 47 near its fulcrum is connected to the stem of a valve 48 contained in a cage 49 and adapted to control the passage 29.. Thus the lever 34 in its upper position holds the valve 484 firmly .against its seat so that the passage 29 is thereby closed and the lever 34 in its lower position rests against a tra` stop 50 and the ,valve 48 permits the admisi sion of the refrigerant from the tank 16 into the expansion chamber 24.

An outlet 51 from the ex ansion chamber 24 is connected by-a suita le 'pipe- 52 with the intake 'side of the compressor 13 above.

referred to. l V

The normal level of the liquid refrigerant in the expansion chamber 24 is shown at 53 and the valve -48 is in closed position. With the operation of the compressor the evaporated refrigerant or gas 1n the upper part of the expansion chamber is withdrawn through the ipe 52 and passed into the condenser 15 w 1ere it is condensed 'and Athen stored in the chamber 16. This action of the compressor of course reduces the pressure in the ex ansion chamber and causes the refrigerant 1n the'pi es 26 to boillor evaporate.l

As' the gas is wit idrawn from (the upper art of the expansion chamber thei liquid re rigerant enters the lower endsfthe ipe 26 thusv lowering'the level 4of the liquidpintthe tank 25. ,As soon as'this level reaches the point'where the weight of the `float 30 overcomes the resistance of the spring 38 the lever 34 snaps over the dead center and .opensthe valve 48 thus admittin the'refrigerant from'the tank16'. The va ve remains open until such time as the level ofthe liquid refrigerant'in the tank 25 reaches the point where the buoyancy of the ioat 30 overcomes l the spring 38 and snaps the lever 34 back into the position lshown in full lines in Fig. 1. This closes thevalve 48- and prevents further admission of the refrigerant until the level in the tank 25 is a ain reduced.

It will be understoo of course that open ing of the doors of the refrigerator and thus letting in" warm air will cause a sudden rise of temperature on the surface of the v'pipes 26 and hence accelerate the evaporavtion of the refrigerant therein. It will be yunderstood further that the Vtemperature within the refrigerator will be approximately controlled by the use ofva thermostat indicated diagrammatically at 60 and con- H nections, similarly indicated at 61', for starting and stopping 4the motor 14,' or bysimi# I' 7^ lar means. On the other handystartingand" .y

4Astopping of the motor. may be done manually or as occasion ar-ises. In some instances it may be desirable to operate the motor continuously. On the other hand, it may be shut off for relatively long periods due to the fact that considerable refrigerant may bestored in the storage compartment 25 ofl v the expansion chamber.

varied from that shown, the principal feature being that the evaporation compartment shall have a relatively large surface area. The pipes 26 which comprise vthe evaporation compartment shown are preferably vertically arranged in a series bordering an area of rectangular form and the upper and lower ends of the pipes are bent inwardl towards the central tank 25 to which they are connected. The connection of the upper ends of these pipes to the tank 25 is above the highest point reached by the liquid level in the tank 25 so that the thermo-Siphon action will take place. As shown in the various figures the pipes 26 are somewhat separated from the central tank 25 and are positioned by a se aratin or bracing means in the form o severa bands 54 extending entirely around the rectangular series of pipes. It will be observed that the vertically disposed pipes withtheir inwardly bent top. and bottom portions form a cage of sufficient volume to receive therein articles to be cooled. As shownin Figs. 2 and 3, two of the pipes, 26*L and 26", are abnormally separated to provide a somewhat larger space between them so that a water pan 55 can be inserted between the pipes andthe central tank. This pan may besupported upon a shelf 56 which in turn rests upon brackets 57 connected to one of the bands 54. The pan 55 preferably hasy a series of substantially cubicalA compartments so that water in the pan may be frozen into cubes for domestic use.

Obviously, several of the shelves 56 may be used and food that it is desired to keep' extremely cold may be placed on these shelves rather than elsewhere in the refrigerator, it' being apparent that the pipes 26.

are the coldest part of the apparatus.

Other forms than those described `may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described' my invention, what I claim and desire'to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, an expansion chamber comprising an upright storage compartment, a series of vertical pipes-separated from the compartment and having their upper and lower ends connected to the compartment, anda shelf ar-v ranged in the space between the-compartbeing arranged ment and lsaid ipes, Vsaid shelf i ported directly y said vertical direct metallic-contact ltherewit 2. In a refrigeratin'g apparatus, an AAex` pansioii chambercomprising an upright 'stor- I age compartment, a series of verticalpipes separated from the compartment` and'. ha'ving their upper and lower ends connected to the compartment, separating mean's'co'nnected to said pipes, and a shelf 'suppdrtfed'f by said separating means, said vertical pipes, separating means and shelf'be'ingin direct metallic contact with one another.'

pipesand 1n 3. In a'refrigerating apparatus, in coinbinatiom'anexpansion chamber including a storage compartment and an evaporating compartment connected thereto, the evaporating compartment comprising a series of pipes having vu right side portions bordering an area an laterally turned top and bottom portions, 'said side portions and laterally turnedl portions constituting with said storage compartment a series of upright loops arranged to form a cage, and a 'shelf within the cage adapted to receive a pan thereon, said shelf being in intimate metallic contact with lsaid pipes.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, an expansion chamber including a storage compartment ,and an evaporating compartment connected thereto, the -evaporating compartment comprising a plurality of` pipes each connected lwith the storage compartment and formin therewith aseries of vertical loops, sai -loopsbeing arranged to form a cage, and bracingmeans connecting adjacent pipes and supported thereby and having provisions. for supportv ing a pan thereon, said bracin means b eing in intimate metallic contact with saidpipes.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus, incom-l bination, an expansionchamber including a storage compartment and an evaporating compartment connected thereto, the evaporating compartment comprising a plurality of upright pipes each connected with the storage compartment and forming therewith a series of vertical loops, said loops being arranged to form a cage open at one .side to receive a pan-therein, and means in intimatemetallic contact with said pipes,

adapted for supporting said pan within the cage.

6. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, an expansion chamber `including a storage compartment and an evaporating compartment connected thereto, `the evaporatmg compartment com rising a series of spaced vertically dispose pipes connected with the storage compartment to form therewith a series of vertical loops, said loops within the cage in intimate metallic contact ,necte with said pipes adapted to support said pan.

7. In a refrigeratingy apparatus, an expansion chamber comprisin an upright storage compartment normally containing li uid refrigerant therein, a series of vertical pipes spaced from thev compartment and their upper and ylower ends conto the' 'compartment respectively above and below the level of the liquid refrigerant therein, and a shelf arranged in the space between the compartment and said pipes.

8. In 'a refrigerating apparatus, an expansion chamber comprising an upright havin storage compartment normally containing liquid refrigerant therein, a series of upright pipes spaced from the compartment and having their upper and lower ends connected to the compartment respectively above and below the level of the liquid refrigerant, said pipes containing liquid refrigerant to substantially the same level asl in the storage compartment, and a shelf arranged in the space between the compartmentv and said pipes approximately atthe level of the liquid refrierant therein.

In testimony whereo I atlix my signature. a

CHARLES L. MCCUEN. 

